Mixing up your own hair care ingredients can be fun! Enjoy these recipes submitted by our visitors! If you'd like to submit a recipe, please email me!
ALOE & JOJOBA GLOSSING GEL
This Glossing Gel is quite moisturizing and imparts substantial
shine & body. It is a light, glossing/protecting alternative to
traditional styling products, and can be used to moisturize and smooth
frizzy/flyaway hairs, or as a setting lotion.
Adjust the ratio of ingredients to your own personal preference.
To make Aloe & Jojoba Glossing Gel:
MIX 3 PARTS ALOE VERA GEL TO 1 PART JOJOBA OIL. INCLUSION OF ESSENTIAL
OILS IS OPTIONAL.
When I make my Glossing Gel, I prepare 4 ounces at a time & store it in a glass bottle, so I have a bottle prepared and ready for use as necessary.
I mix 3 ounces of aloe vera gel with 1 ounce of jojoba oil, shake well and apply to the length and ends as a lightweight glossing gel to add intense shine, moisturize, add body, and smooth down hair.
I add essential oils to the Glossing Gel for additional benefits of shine, strength/protection and color enhancement, however It isn't necessary to add essential oils to the Glossing Gel, as the simple mixture of aloe vera gel & jojoba oil will glisten when you combine them, doing a lovely job as a glossing/smoothing/moisturizing gel.
I often add one of the following essential oils, or a combination of a few of the following essential oils to my Glossing Gel.
Each of the following oils offer their own positive effect, such as moisturizing, strengthening, color enhancement, scent, etc.
Chamomile
Tangerine
Rosemary
Ylang Ylang
Palmarosa
Lavender
Sandalwood
Patchouli
Clary Sage
Cedarwood
I have been using Lily Of The Desert 99.5% certified organic aloe vera gel. This aloe vera gel has a very smooth, liquid consistency, allowing it to mix well with the jojoba oil and essential oils.
Equestrian
An all-natural kitchen deep-conditioner
You may want to shampoo/cleanse your hair prior to this wash, so that all the dirt gets off and the conditioner can fully penetrate. These are rough amounts used on damp, 39" hair. Damp hair needs much less than does dry hair. Also, I used less olive oil and shea butter because my hair is prone to being overly greasy. If your hair is dry, add more of these ingredients.
- 1 tsp olive oil (or your favorite oil)
- 1 tsp shea butter
- 1.5 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp coffee: optional
- 1 egg
The coffee is for dark-hairs only. Lemon or chamomile can be used for blondes, ketchup and chili for redheads... etc. You know what works best for your hair color. If you are using the coffee, mix it with boiling water first. Then add the olive oil, shea butter, and honey. Heat it in the microwave for about one minute. Then, after it cools, add the egg and the yogurt. EO can be added if you don't like the smell. It does smell a bit at first, but my hair doesn't retain smells like this, so I didn't use any EO.
Apply this to your hair (preferably damp hair, but again, you know what your hair prefers!) and leave on for at least 20-30 minutes. I like to leave it on overnight. Then rinse, and shampoo/condition your scalp, depending on your washing method. No conditioner should be needed on the length!
~*Leia*~
AVOCADO WRAP
Another moisturizing hair treat to nourish dry ends.
1 ripe avocado
3-4 teaspoons honey
8-10 drops almond oil
1. Peel and core the avocado, then mix in a blender with other
ingredients.
2. Apply to wet hair, concentrating on the ends.
3. Wrap hair with clear plastic wrap or a towel. Leave on for 20-30
minutes.
4. Rinse thorougly with warm water.
-Helena
Coconut Milk
Just buy one can of pure coconut milk and pour the whole can or just half of it on dry hair. Cover your hair with a shower cap, or even better heating cap and leave it on your hair for half an hour or longer. Wash as usual. It is a very good conditioner for the hair and it smells heavenly!!!
Tanja
Coffee Deep Conditioner
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons strong coffee
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 tablespoons creamy deep conditioner
Method:
- Mix the coffee with the water
- Add the deep conditioner. It should be a thick paste now.
- Wash your hair as normal. If you CWC, then only do the first condition and shampoo. If you CO, only rinse the hair with water.
- Apply conditioner.
- Leave on for however long the deep conditioner needs
to stay in, then rinse with cold water.
- Voila! Darker and deep conditioned hair
Leia 2bNiii
DEEP ENDINGS
A revitalizing oil treatment that nourishes the ends of your hair. It's
especially useful in winter, when hair constantly rubs up against wool and
other heavy fabrics.
1-3 teaspoons olive, peanut, or sweet almond oil (amount depends on length
and/or thickness of your hair)
2-4 drops of pure lavender essential oil.
1. Combine oils and apply to the ends of your hair
2. Wrap hair with clear plastic wrap and leave on for 30 minutes.
3. Rinse thoroughly with Lemon Aid. Recipe found under "L"
-Helena
EXFOLIATING SCRUB
Weekly Scalp Treatment
1 Tablespoon brown sugar or quinoa (available at health food stores)
3 Tablespoons conditioner
1. Mix together to create a thick consistenscy.
2. Wet your hair in the shower, then rub the paste on your fingerips.
Apply to scalp and massage genlty in a circular motion, starting at the
nape of your neck and moving upward. Linger on any spots that seem dense
ot itchy.
3. Rinse thoroughly, then condition.
Exfoliating will slough off any dead skin cells or conditioner buildup,
making your scalp healthier and relieving any itchiness.
-Helena
Gelatine Hair Gel
Take 1/2 teaspoon of Knox Unflavored Gelatin and mix with 1/2 cup warm water. Put into a spray bottle and shake well! Spritz on wet or damp hair to enhance waves or style. Keeps for a few days. You can then toss it out and make more!
-Daisy 2aNii
Honey Rinse
About 2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons honey
Directions: After shampooing and conditioning, pour the entire rinse over hair, then rinse completely with cool water. The honey dissolves in the water, and gives hair a nice sheen
Amanda Panda 1c/F/iii
Kitchen-Shampoo
Some time ago I was on a trip without my shampoo and conditioner. Toothbrush and other conveniences were lacking too. It was nearing washing hour, all shops were closed (currently I wash saturday in the evening) and I needed a shampoo fast. So I whipped up an old recipe and was very astonished by the results.
You mix:
1 teaspoon of honey
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
juice of 1 medium-sized lemon
The honey and the eggs should be scrambled very good, because the lemon juice can cause the egg-white to flock without the honey. Add essential oils to change the smell or, if the shampoo is too drying, add up to two tea spoons of oil to step down the washing power.
You apply it to the hair just like normal shampoo (but it is very liquid, so it takes a bit of experimentation), let it sit for 5 minutes so the Lecithine can work its washing magic and rinse with lukewarm (38-40°C) water. Afterwards a nice cold rinse helps to add shine.
My hair was really soft and shiny afterwards, not to mention the intensified color. I only needed the tiniest amount of Jojoba to soften the ends.
I have been using this shampoo for about 4 weeks now (4 washings) and I still feel that it is exceptional good.
-Thea
LAVENDER MIST
½ gallon water
5 drops pure (not synthetic) lavender essential oil
3 empty spray bottles (available at most drugstores)
1. Fill a large pot with a half gallon of water
2. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer four an hour to get rid of
impurities. (check occasionally to make sure water isnt boiling away, I
use bought Distilled water instead)
3. Remove from heat, add lavender oil, stir, and replace lid
4. Let steep until cool, then pour into empty spritz bottles
Lavender has cleansing properties, so this quick mist not only makes your
hair smell like a lavender field in Provence, its also indispensable for
cleansing and reviving your hair. Keep a large spray bottle at home and
the smaller sized bottles in your purse, desk or car.
-Helena
LEMON AID
More clarifying and cleansing than any shampoo, this moisturizing and
neutralizing tonic adds shine to your hair and removes buildup. It's
especially good for very dry or damaged hair.
1. Combine juice of 1 large lemon with your usual amount of conditioner,
then rinse through hair thoroughly.
-Helena
MEDITERRANEAN HAIR MASK
Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
1 mug olive oil
1 mug rum
3 tablespoons honey
Mix ingredients and apply on hair before washing, for as long as you wish.
Keep the rest in the refrigerator for as long as you wish (olive oil acts as a preservative).
Makes hair grow faster and leaves it shiny.
Mostly appropriate for dark hair, as olive oil tends to darken hair. This is a large quantity recipe. You can reduce this recipe in half, but leave the amount of honey the same.
-Malama 1aNii
NICOLE'S PRE-WASH CONDITIONER TREATMENT
My Burts Bees Avocado Butter has been an excellent product, but it is very thick, and hard to apply, so last night I experimented with "diluting" it. I mixed up the following:
2 parts burts bees Avocado Butter
1 part aloe vera gel
1 part jojoba oil
I microwaved it for a few seconds until it was warm, and applied it to my hair. I then bunned it and covered with a showercap for about 2 hours, then washed as normal. This mixture is WONDERFUL! I suspect you can use this mixture with any no-cone conditioner and get fabulous, moisturizing results. My hair feels absolutely wonderful today - lots of body, lots of shine and it is SO soft and silky. I made sure to apply a generous amount to my ends, and it felt wonderful massaged into the scalp.
-Nicole (loveshistory) 2cFii
(Fox's) Shea Butter Conditioning Cream
1 part Shea Butter (1 Tablespoon)
1 part Conditioner (1 Tablespoon)
1/2 part Oil (1/2 Tablespoon)
Make sure Shea Butter is soft. This can easily be done by setting it in the sun. Mix with an equal part of conditioner. I prefer to use natural conditioners (Aubrey Organics) so no chemicals will effect the properties of the Shea Butter. Add in a half part oil, like jojoba, meadowfoam seed oil, or Monoi, and mix well. Allow to cool and harden. If the mixture tends to separate, stir a few times during the cooling process and it should stay well mixed.
Apply a pea sized amount to your ends. This may feel slightly sticky at first, but it will not leave your hair sticky.
Fox 2b/cMii
Shine
This is a recipe that will help increase shine. I've used this on my wavy hair and it really worked!!
Bring about 3/4 cup of ACV to boil. Add cinnamon/cloves/chili (I can't tell you what the chili does, but cinnamon and cloves help condition and bring out dark hair. They can be omitted if your hair is light). Add some ketchup/coffee/lemon juice, depending on your hair color. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken. Take it off the heat and put it in some cool water. When it has completely cooled, add an egg to the mixture. Work it into the scalp and hair and leave for at least half an hour. Then you can wash it out as usual.
This works WONDERS, and leaves my hair SO soft and shiny!
Leia 2bNiii
Tanja's Hair Miracle
At least once a month I do some kind of home made recipe and put it on my hair. (it could be honey, avocado, different oils or something like that) BUT this time I had incredible results, never before like this. I tried this:
2 spoons of honey
2 spoons of olive oil
2 eggs
10 drops of rose EO
5 drops of lavander EO
(EO's are essential because of the smell of course)
I put it on for 1 hour and then washed as always. It is a miracle!!! I have never ever had a hair like this, amazing. My DH was laughing like mad when he heard me in the bathroom screaming "this is a miracle, my hair is like silk, MIRACLEEEE"...
And it is not even as disgusting as it seems. Oils make it smell nice, honey makes it thicker, and eggs make it smooth, so it is ok to put on!!!
Ciao,
Tanja
A real time review of Tanja's Hair Miracle!
OK, mixing it was fun. I used our little mixer, and it was all frothy, looked delicious. I didn't have the EO's she has, I don't like those scents, so I put amber in instead. I have GOT to find a good health store I can get EOs and oils at.
NOTE TO SELF: need jasmine EO and a squeeze bottle. Putting this stuff on was really messy. I put the shower cap on over it, no heat but it's hot enough in here to make it work! I had some left over, so I asked DH if he wanted it, he said he was too hot to sit for an hour with plastic on his head. Men are such wimps! LOL! Or women are fools for putting up with so much to make ourselves beautiful. I think men are self indulgent enough they just don't make excuses for what they do, while we have to fool ourselves into believing we are doing something useful. This means I get to play on the computer for an hour without guilt, because if I move around too much, the cap will fall off. See how that works?
Buying all this stuff and doing all this stuff makes me feel very self-indulgent. Perhaps a little vain. I love it! I love talking to the people on this board. I love that I can walk past a mirror without cringing, well, at least if it's above waist height. I love that DH now pays more attention to my hair, and therefore to me.
Now I'm going to go play computer games will this stuff works it's magic. Ahhh, love those guilty pleasures!
Well, didn't seem like I needed shampoo to rinse the stuff out, all that sugar seemed to melt away. Still was tangly, so I shampooed my scalp and used up the last of the L'oreal conditioner. Hope that isn't what was helping my hair so much, since that's the last of it! The treatment seemed to kick the conditioner into high power, but maybe that's just my imagination.
I wet combed it, then scrunched it to put the waves back in. I put clips in on the cowlick in back and some to hold it out of my face. I have one tendril that escaped and is dangling in front of me. I'm watching it go from a perfect little spiral to a frizzy little wave as it dries. I'll let it dry and see if it makes my hair any softer but I can already tell I'm going to frizz. I also didn't put my jojoba in because I just wanted to test the treatment. My hair is really pretty soft anyway.
My roots are out about 1/2 inch. It looks like I've gone silver at the temples, nice. I'm going to try a semi permanent color this time I think. Since they wash out, and I almost never shampoo, the color may stay until it's time to recolor anyway.
Man o man, I'm just sitting here and my hair is falling out. It's finally figured out the weather has changed to hot, and is trying to shed my winter coat!
I was planning on combing it out while it was still slightly damp and see if it would go straight again, but got on the phone so it dried wavy. The ends felt stiff, but the rest was nice. I couldn't tell if it was softer, so I asked K for his opinion. Judging by the reaction (big smile) he liked it. Of course, that may be because I smell like honey and amber! In spite of the Loreal heavily perfumed conditioner, this time I smell like the treatment, whoopie! K says he thinks it IS softer. I have tons of body, don't think I would have all that much frizz if it weren't for all the lengths. So I spritzed my hair, put jojoba on the ends...and yeah, my hair feels different. It actually looks and feels a little thicker somehow.
My ends looked so good I had K measure my hair again. After all, I can see my roots are out 1/2 an inch. I'm at 25 3/4 now. I see why Tanja was yelling "its a miracle!" My back is bare, and I'm just swishing my hair back and forth and enjoying the scent. Yummy! Gotta try this on L's hair. My hair is as soft as when I deep conditioned, but not limp. Plus, I like mixing the stuff up, I feel like a mad scientist, hee hee!
-WildCatDancer
Vinegar Rinse (herbal)
Heat a quart of vinegar until it's very hot, but not boiling. It's best to heat this in glass/ceramic rather than metals.
Add 4 of your favorite herbal tea bags like:
Marshmallow
Sage
Nettle
Chamomile
The tea bags make it easier so you don't have to strain the mixture when you finished.
Allow to steep covered for at least 15 minutes. The longer it steeps, the better it is. Add some of the following before pouring into storage container.
Add 5-10 drops each of the following EO's:
Lavender
Clary Sage
Rosemary
Peppermint
Cedarwood
Add additional EO's that support your hair type. Store in glass container. Shake well before each use. Use 1/4 -1/2 cup of concentrate to 2-4 cups of water. Pour over hair after rinsing out your shampoo and before applying conditioner, or use as a final rinse, then rinse lightly with water.
*Note: You can also make this without heating the vinegar and simply adding the essential oils. To read more about essential oils and their uses on hair click here. For additional vinegar rinse recipes read: What Is Product Build Up? Recipes to help!